Moratorium extension hearing set

By Stuart Hedstrom

Staff Writer

DOVER-FOXCROFT — At the June 2014 annual town meeting residents approved an ordinance concerning a moratorium regarding private distribution corridors, which includes paved highways, pipelines and high tension transmission lines. In December the selectmen approved a moratorium extension for six months, meaning permits for the development projects cannot be granted during the timeframe.

Town officials are looking at another six-month extension and during a May 11 select meeting the board scheduled a public hearing on the proposed continuation of the moratorium for Wednesday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the town office.

Town Manager Jack Clukey said the current private distribution corridor moratorium expires in June. “The extensions are for as long as we are making reasonable progress to address the deficiencies we found to put the moratoriums in to begin with,” he said. Clukey said the work being done to update the comprehensive plan meets the criteria to allow the moratorium and ensuing extensions to be put in place.

Tuesday, June 9 will be the annual town meeting and RSU 68 budget validation referendums, and the selectmen signed both of these documents on May 11. In additions to the financial articles, the Dover-Foxcroft citizens will be voting on a candidate ballot. Two three-year seats on the selectboard will be decided on, with Vice Chair Cindy Freeman Cyr and fellow incumbent Scott Taylor as the only candidates appearing on the ballot (two write-in slots are also listed).

The RSU 68 school board will have two open seats representing Dover-Foxcroft, and the ballot will have no candidates listed by name. Instead are two write-in slots for the pair of three-year seats.

In other business, the selectmen approved a proposal to install a fire alarm system at the Morton Avenue Municipal Building as well as at the fire, police and public works departments. The town office has a sprinkler system in place, but currently no automatic system to trigger an alarm.

“I think overall it sounded like a pretty good deal,” Finance Director Dave Johnson said, with the listed quote from the sprinkler company of $17,971 for the town office along with an ongoing yearly fee of $615. Johnson said a local contractor would conduct the electrical work at the town office.

When asked, Clukey said the new fire alarm system would most likely not result in a decrease in insurance costs but the rates would not increase after the improvements. “I think the value of getting a call out quickly if something was tripped would benefit us,” he said.

In his town manager’s report, Clukey touched upon a number of subjects. He said engineers from the Maine Department of Transportation were scheduled to be in town later in the week to look at and discuss the unbuilt sections of Route 7.

“I feel that the meetings they have had before here have really allowed us to communicate the condition that road is in and at least put it in the pipeline,” he said.

Clukey said the farmer’s market will be moving across the base of Pine Street from the Robinson’s lot to the Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce’s property for the summer. “The Chamber is more than willing to have them” he said.

The construction on Dunkin Donuts on outer West Main Street is scheduled to resume soon, Clukey reported. He said the restaurant will open its doors “hopefully in early August.”

Clukey said the Foxcroft Academy Key Club is planning to observer the town’s Arbor Day festivities by planting a flowering crab apple tree at the school and also by reading with SeDoMoCha Elementary kindergarteners and first-graders about what the day symbolizes.

“We are not doing a balloon festival, we are doing a balloon rally,” Clukey said about an event scheduled for Saturday, May 30. He said some balloonists will be in town to conduct flights, weather permitting as the conditions will also determine whether the launches are conducted at the fairgrounds or at the airport.

May 30 will also be the rescheduled date of the Dover-Foxcroft Kiwanis’ canoe race on the Piscataquis River from King Cummings Park in Guilford to the finish line across from Foxcroft Academy. That same day the Living Word Assembly of God will hold a farewell open house for Pastor Tom Bruce and his wife Rhonda in recognition of their 25 years there.

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